As someone pointed out in the wake of England’s loss to Spain the other day, it will soon be 60 years of hurt, and Baddiel and Skinner will be booking studio time.
Just a couple of years after ’66 came the debut of Deep Purple. There’s no epithet too strong for what they’ve done since—and I’m never sure they’ve had enough credit for it.
But as “=1” readies itself, there’s a question, I suppose, about how you stay relevant. I mean, does it matter if Deep Purple release a new album? They’ll tour, and arenas will fill.
The answer to both of those questions is in “Show Me.” You stay relevant by adapting. It’s not “Burn,” but neither is it so achingly hip as to try too hard.
That’s even more true on the brilliant “Bit On The Side.” Not only does relative newcomer Simon McBride absolutely slay the lead work, but the Deep Purple sound is present and correct. That way, they mix organ and keyboard better than any other band.
And that is on the strutting “Sharp Shooter” too. It’s a wonderful thing, a sight to behold, and okay, so Ian Gillan can’t sing the same as he did, but the new style suits him.
The soul is dialled up, and they find a classic sound on “Portable Door.” The lyrics are never less than clever throughout, but especially here. And as both McBride and keyboard man Don Airey enjoy themselves here, you can justifiably reflect that ” = 1″ sounds like a fun record to make.
“Old Fangled Thing” crackles with energy, rolling back the years and sounding funky, and if “If I Were You” slows the pace down a touch, then there’s class written through it still.
The singles they put out before this rather hinted at what was to come. “Pictures Of You” offers melody and hooks, and there’s a touch of the epic too.
“I’m Saying Nothin'” grooves, and shines a light on the fact that nothing here dips.
“Lazy Sod” – another of the singles – seems to be Deep Purple very deliberately rolling back the years, and Airey (who is in stunning form throughout this) is right in the spotlight here and relishing it.
If everywhere you look, there’s a highlight, then “Now You’re Talking” is still a highlight. There’s only one band that could have made this song (and consequently this album).
Messrs. Paice and Glover anchor this down, but it’s noticeable that there’s so much room in the songs to allow everyone to express themselves.
There’s a little of Mark Knopfler on the ballad, “I’ll Catch You,” and if it ends with “Bleeding Obvious”—the longest thing here—then it’s also one of the most intricate. There are hints of prog, but by the time the chorus hits, it’s a very British thing, and moreover, it’s a very Deep Purple thing.
But it’s not a band living on past glories. It’s Deep Purple 2024, not 1968 or even 2020 when “Whoosh!” came out. Rather, it’s this Darwinian idea of evolution that colours this.
You change, you adapt, and things come and go—but the best and strongest survive.
“=1” when you add it all up comes to the best Deep Purple album in a very long time.
Rating: 8.5/10
REVIEW: DEEP PURPLE – =1 (2024)
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